Hinako Inui
|kanji = 乾 日向子 |romaji = Inui Hinako |alias = The Mist Empress (霧の女帝 Kiri no jotei) |age = 28 |gender = Female |height = Unknown |family = Unknown |cuisine style = Japanese Cuisine/Washi |food forte = Natural/Raw ingredients |generation = 80th |occupation = Head Chef & Owner |workplace = "Kirinoya" |manga = Chapter 15 L'étoile Chapter 2 |image gallery = |voice actor = Mamiko Noto }} Hinako Inui (乾 日向子 Inui Hinako) is an 80th Generation Tōtsuki Academy Alumnus and a previous 2nd seat of the Elite Ten Council. She is the owner and head chef of the Japanese Restaurant, Kirinoya. Appearance Hinako has shoulder length long hair tied in a ponytail and slung over her right shoulder. Her eyes are generally very soft and gentle but she tends to have her eyes closed during most scenes. Unlike her fellow alumni who wear standard chef uniforms, Hinako wears a kosode underneath a modified sleeved apron. During her days at Tōtsuki, her bangs were much shorter but she still retained her ponytail. She also wore a standard Tōtsuki uniform. Personality Hinako is generally a mature, serene, and calm individual. She has a motherly sort of personality in which she dotes on certain students that she likes. Upon meeting her for the first time, Hinako instantly resonated with Megumi Tadokoro, who easily became her favorite 92nd Tōtsuki Generation student because of their similar personalities. However, her brand of care towards her is borderline on the obsessive side rather than the caring side. Despite this though, behind her soft, motherly personality, she is just as ruthless as her fellow Tōtsuki Alumni, showing that she has high standards for the students and is not afraid to deem a dish unworthy. At times she is childish and carefree, shown by her comical distress when Sōma took her Kaki Seed Snack or causing her class to be late to return to the Villa. Hinako is close to her fellow 80th generation alumnus Donato Gotōda and 79th generation alumni Kojirō Shinomiya and Fuyumi Mizuhara. She tends to make fun of Kojirō in particular, only for her to receive a swift chop to the head from him. History Hinako attended Tōtsuki Culinary Academy as a part of the 80th generation. During her time at Tōtsuki, she became known as the "Mist Empress" and held the 2nd Seat of the Elite Ten Council by the end of her enrollment. At the end of her 2nd year, she attended the graduation ceremony for the 79th generation. Among them were Fuyumi Mizuhara and Kojirō Shinomiya, whom she had befriended during her first two years at the academy. She shed tears, worried that Kojirō would outcast himself due to his abrasive personality as he prepared to depart to France. However, Donato Gotōda reminded her to see Kojirō off with a smile and happy thoughts but she was still angry at Kojirō about his sudden announcement. During the grand opening of Hitoshi Sekimori's restaurant, Hinako challenged Kojirō to unofficial Shokugeki, stating if Kojirō defeats her, she will accept his dream and give her blessings. In a decisive and one-sided result, Hinako lost the match. On the day of his departure, Hinako, Fuyumi, and Donato wished Kojirō well as he left Japan to achieve his dream. Hinako then continued into her third year and was one of the few students to graduate. After leaving Tōtsuki, Hinako moved on and became the owner of a Japanese styled restaurant, Kirinoya. Plot Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp Main article: Training Camp Arc Twelve years after she graduated from Tōtsuki Academy, Hinako was recruited as an instructor for the 92nd Tōtsuki Generation's Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp at the Tōtsuki Resort. Hinako was reunited with Fuyumi, Kojirō, and Donato, who also had been recruited. After Roland Chapelle introduced Hinako and the rest of the Tōtsuki Academy Alumni, Hinako watched as Donato asked Megumi Tadokoro to join him for a date. Hinako scolded him and apologized that she had such a scary first experience. However, Hinako became smitten by Megumi's cute appearance, but was summoned back to the stage before Roland became mad at her. After Gin Dōjima announced the rules, the training camp began. The First Day For her first assignment, Hinako told her students to pair up in the groups assigned to them in Roland's class and to create a Japanese cuisine dish. However as there were no ingredients in the kitchen, Hinako informed them that their ingredients will have to come from anywhere in the outside area. She also added that they had two hours to gather their ingredients and present their dish that would meet her approval. As Megumi and Sōma Yukihira paired up, they encountered Takumi Aldini and his twin brother, Isami Aldini who challenged Sōma to see whose dish would be superior. Takumi asked Hinako to become the judge of their competition but she initially refused, saying that it had nothing to do with their assignment. Nevertheless, the four left the kitchen along with the rest of her class to gather their ingredients. As the students began to search for their ingredients, Hinako monologued that when a person is in an unknown and uncertain situation, the human vision narrows leading to mistakes. Her assignment shows who has the ability to overcome this uncertainty and come out on top. Eventually some of the students returned to the kitchen to cook their dishes. The first pair to present her a dish was the Aldini twins after less than an hour had transpired. Their Aigamo Grilled with Spices amazed her with its deep flavor. Though most of the class believed that they used salsa verde, Hinako informed them that they made an improvised salsa verde using uruka, a type of shirokara. Hinako passed the Aldini twins and recalled Takumi's earlier statement for her to judge their dish against Sōma and Megumi's dish. She accepted Takumi's request to judge which dish was better. However, she added that the loser must bow before the winner and call themselves a dejected loser three times. However, she exempted Megumi from this condition if she lost. As Sōma decided on his dish, he asked Hinako if he could use anything in the kitchen area. As she told him that as long as it was an ingredient within the boundaries, Sōma could use it. Sōma snatched the Kaki seeds that she had been eating and then set outside to find the rest of his ingredients along with Megumi. Returning to the kitchen, Sōma used the Kaki seeds to coat his Char Okakiage. Though she had been eating almost nothing but fish dishes from the students, the improvised usage of her Kaki seeds created an interesting consistency unlike any of the previous dishes. Hinako passed Sōma and Megumi just before the time expired. After the class ended, Takumi asked her to finally determine which dish was superior. Unfortunately Hinako was conflicted as each of the dishes' uniqueness made it hard for her to determine a clear winner. Suddenly Kojirō called her to hurry up and sent the students back. Hinako determined that the duel was a draw as she quickly left the room to return to the Resort. Second Day Main article: [[Yukihira-Tadokoro Vs. Shinomiya ''Shokugeki]]'' The following day, Hinako and Gin arrived just as Sōma declared a Shokugeki to Kojirō to rescind Megumi's expulsion after he had fired her for altering his recipe. After Gin brought Sōma, Megumi, and Kojirō to his office, Hinako tried Megumi's altered dish. Though Hinako found it delicious and tried to convince Kojirō to reverse his decision, Kojirō grabbed her head to silence her after her attempts to persuade him became annoying. Though Gin tried to persuade Kojirō to acknowledge Megumi's revision to fix the situation she was given, he still refused, though Hinako agreed with Gin. Thanks to Gin, Megumi got her chance to battle Kojirō to an unofficial Shokugeki. Later that afternoon, Hinako came to the Tōtsuki Resort's basement kitchen, but was tied to a chair and denied a position as a judge for the Shokugeki due to her blatant favoritism for Megumi. After Gin told Megumi that she had to lead, Kojirō threw some insults at Sōma, saying that his future is solely in the hands of Megumi, whom he called a dunce. Hinako somehow managed to escape the ropes and rallied the judges against Kojirō for his hateful comments. Throughout the battle, Hinako continued to cheer for Megumi. As Kojirō waited for his dish to finish cooking, Hinako tried once more to sway Kojirō, but she got on his nerves and was tied to her chair once more. As the Shokugeki ended, Hinako escaped her bindings once more and joined the judges as Kojirō presented his dish first. Hinako was disappointed initially by his Chou Farci but her unfounded criticism was refuted by a swift chop to her head from Kojirō. However, once she ate his dish, like the rest of the alumni, she could not help but praise his excellent dish. Megumi presented her Rainbow Terrine next. Despite Megumi's fears, Hinako and the judges told her that her dish was delicious. Her dish reminded Hinako of the zashiki-warashi, calling Megumi the "Legumes Zasiki-Warashi". However, despite Megumi's best efforts, the judges voted in favor of Kojirō's dish. However, Gin added a surprise vote to Megumi's dish in recognition of her efforts. After Gin handed Kojirō a coin and forced him to eat Megumi's dish, Kojirō unconsciously dropped his coin into Megumi's plate as well. When he asked if she used allspice, Megumi said that she used it to help the judges' digestion systems since they had been eating all day. Hinako was moved to tears by Megumi's hospitality and kindness, though Fuyumi suspected that her tears was from her favoritism. Finally Hinako added one last vote, rendering the duel a tie. Leaving the final decision to Kojirō, Megumi was allowed to stay, much to Hinako's delight. The Final Day On the evening of the final day, Hinako and the rest of the alumni gathered to prepare a lavish feast for the 628 students who had survived the camp. As the students prepared to leave the camp, Hinako and the rest of the Alumni managed to catch Kojirō in the lobby before he decided to return to France along with his new dream of getting a 3 Michelin Star rating for his retaurant. Hinako took the opportunity to try and recruit Megumi to work for her restaurant along with Donato and Hitoshi Sekimori. As Kojirō prepared to leave, she asked him if he needed her help to achieve his new dream. However Kojirō joked that she can work as a servant, much to her annoyance. The 43rd Annual Tōtsuki Autumn Election Main article: Tōtsuki Autumn Election Arc Months later, Hinako was invited to return to Tōtsuki Academy to participate as a guest judge for the Semifinal rounds of the 43rd Annual Tōtsuki Autumn Election. Semifinals Main article: Yukihira Vs. Mimasaka Semifinal Shokugeki The day of the Semifinals arrived, Gin announced that he along with Hinako, Fuyumi, Taki Tsunozaki, and Sonoka Kikuchi are the judges for the Semifinal rounds. During the first match between Sōma and Subaru Mimasaka, Hinako immediately spotted Megumi in the crowd even though they were quite a distance apart. When Taki Tsunozaki said that Sōma was at a disadvantage just from the data gathered in the Tōtsuki Sport, Hinako told her not to judge him so preemptively. However the two butted heads for a bit until she asked for Fuyumi to help her. Surprisingly, Taki obeyed Fuyumi, much to Hinako's annoyance. When Sōma brought out beef tail as the basis of his stew because of its gelatinous property, Hinako gave Taki a smirked look on her face in respond to her initial judgment about Sōma. Hinako continued to watch the match closely, growing increasingly surprised with each of Sōma's additional surprises. When Sōma brought out his cooler of various beef parts, he told Hinako and the other judges that he would take them to a "beef amusement park". With his dish done, Subaru presented his dish first, a Beef Stew with Bacon Garnish. As the judges ate his dish, it was well received. Afterwards, Sōma presented his dish however Hinako and the other judges saw that his dish was nothing more than a random assortment of beef parts similar to Yakiniku, but Sōma assured the judges that the beef parts were actually garnishes. After a single bite, the reception was overwhelmingly positive. Hinako felt that she was riding a roller-coaster as she was engrossed by the harmonious flavors of the dish.The judges were impressed by Sōma's tenacity and creativity and were so immersed in the dish, they began their adventure at Yukiheeland then got out of their seats and held hands in front of the judging table. In a decisive and one-sided result, Sōma was declared the victor of the match. With no time to spare, Gin announced that the second semifinal round began between Ryō Kurokiba and Akira Hayama with the same culinary theme as the first match. The judges analyzed Akira's background and his incredible sense of smell and mastery of aroma. Gin further noted Akira is expected to enter the Elite Ten Council after Erina. Then, Ryō bought out an eel, slicing it open with an eel knife which surprised everyone in the arena. With his dish competed first, Akira presented his Canard Apicius to the judges. With a single bite, the judges were brought to their knees. Afterwards Ryō presented his Eel Matelote. With a single bite, Ryō's dish enticed the judges, feeling a strong impact from the dish. Akira was shocked to see the judges eating Ryō's dish as intensely as his own. The judges felt that they were no more than prey to Ryō's power. After the tasting round concluded, Ryō and Akira watched as the judges decided on their verdict. Unlike the previous matches during the Tournament, the judges were frozen, unable to decisively decide the winner. Hinako and Fuyumi decided to vote for Akira while Gin and Taki voted for Ryō. Sonoka however, was still unable to decide the winner. Her indecisiveness nearly caused an uproar, with Ryō literally roaring at her, until Gin stepped in and asked the management committee to make a special circumstance for the final round given the splendid showcase of Ryō and Akira's match. It was decided that the final match of the 43rd Autumn Election will be a three-way battle royale between Ryō, Akira, and Sōma. Immediately after the announcement, Satoshi Isshiki entered the arena, wheeling out a large block of ice which he promptly smashed to reveal the main ingredient of the final round: Pacific Saury. Stagiaire Main article: Stagiaire Arc Hinako arrived on the last day of Shino's Tokyo trial run period along with Roland and several other Alumni members thanks to reservations by Kojirō. Hinako was surprised to see Sōma, who told her that he is working there as a Stagiaire. Hinako then scolded Kojirō for not inviting her to help him with his restaurant's opening. After Sōma talked to Roland, Hinako told Sōma that Roland was appointed as a lecturer at Tōtsuki Academy more than 10 years ago, around the same time as the students from the 79th and 80th generation were being enrolled. Afterwards, she proceeded to enjoy her meal alongside the other guests. During the meal, Hinako and the others learned that the Shino's Tokyo staff would be having a cooking contest that night to potentially add a new dish to the Shino's menu. Much to everyone's surprise, Sōma asked to participate. Hinako remembered back to the camp and even said out loud that it was just like the Shokugeki that had happened. Unfortunately, Hinako forgot that the Shokugeki was unofficial and not known by Roland. Before Roland could press on the matter, Hinako was swiftly silenced by the other Alumni there. Cooking Style * Washoku - Hinako is the owner and head chef of the Japanese restaurant Kirinoya, ''specializing in ''washoku or traditional Japanese cuisine. Dishes Clubs * [[Elite Ten Council|'Elite Ten Council']] - Hinako was previously the 2nd seat of the Elite Ten Council. Cooking Duels Record Unofficial Shokugeki (*) This is Hinako's first known Shokugeki ''in the academy. Trivia *Hinako means ''Sun Child. Inui means Dried. Navigation zh:乾日向子 Category:Characters Category:Female Characters Category:Tōtsuki Academy Alumni Category:Chef Category:80th Generation Students Category:Judge Category:Elite Ten Council